Doorbell with hour-of-return indicator



July 5, 1955 M. G. LAzzARl l. l DORBELL WITH HOUROFRETURN INDICATOR VT l United States Pate ln dwelling places, chemists shops, works and the like, where an outside push button that controls a call bell is installed, switches are foreseen to out out the call bell when it is wanted 'not to be disturbed.

This inveition relates to a switch of the aforestated lkind, provided with Va device by which the time of reestablishment of call bell operation is indicated, while the electric current is utilized for the lighting of a lamp,

by which the hour dial is lighted when the push button is depressed.

The apparatus substantially consists of two dials, arranged coucentrically and movable independently one another, whereon the hours and minutes are respectively marked. Between the beginning and the end of each graduation, a short non-lettered section has been left, to indicate the operating position of call bell.

The position of dials in respect to a window can be adjusted by means of a removable key. When the call bell is cut off, the push button allows a lamp to be switched into an electrical circuit, thus lighting the dials.

When instead the non-lettered sections of dials are visible through the window, then the push button will directly actuate the call bell. 1

ln the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l shows a cross sectional view of the apparatus, together with the wiring diagram.

Fig. 2 shows a View of the key for the dial adjustment.

Fig. 3 is a partly sectioned View of the Contact position, with switched-in bell.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, except that the bell is cut off, whilst the lamp circuit is switched-in.

The device consists of a metal disc 1 whereon a window 2 is cut, being same metal disc firmly secured to collar 3, by which the whole device is supported.

A second disc 4, made of a transparent material and possibly showing a reference line, is laid over the disc 1, and is secured thereto by means of a threaded socket 5.

Two further collars or rings 10 and 9, whereon the dials 8 and '7 are respectively secured, are loose iitted into the collar 5. Said dials are usually made of a transparent material, and an hourly division (l to 24 hrs.) is marked on one of them (e. g. the dial 7), while a graduation by live minutes (i. e. from 5 to 60 minutes) is marked on the other dial.

A short spacing is left between the beginning and the end of each scale division; such a spacing serves to indicate that the bell is switched in.

The collar 9 is shaped in such a manner as to show a shoulder 9. The two movable elements 9 and 1@ are supported by the square piece 6, resting on said shoulder,

The hereinafter described switching disc 11 is likewise supported by the shoulder 9.

A toothed key (see Fig. 2) can be engaged into the recesses 12, 12', 13, 13 machined on the front face of rotary elements 9 and 1), in order that the dials 7, 8 can be turned and adjusted independently one another.

The push button 14 is slidingly tted into a centre hole on collar 9. On the opposite end of said push button, made of an insulating material, there is secured a ice* metal tip, made-up by the projection 15 and by the plate 15. Same push button is kept under the action of a plate spring 16.

The projection 15 passes through the centre hole of a disc 11, secured to rotor 9, without making contact thereto. The face of disc 11 turned toward the plate 1Sv is of all metal construction, except for a small section Z1 rnade of insulating material, the width of which does not exceed the width of contact blade 1S.

The opposite face of same disc 11 is on the contrary made all of an electrical insulating material, except for the section 22, opposite to section 21, and which is made of a metallic material.

The disc 11 is fitted in such a manner that, when the insulating surface 21 is in the position as shown by Fig.

l, the dial 7 will show through its window Z its noniettered section c-r spacing.

The apparatus is completed by a blade contact 17, which slides along the outside surface of disc 11 and by a low voltage lamp 20, being the whole enclosed within a box (shown by dotted lines on the drawing.)

The key shown in Fig. 2 and with which the apparatus is provided, consists of the disc 27 showing on one face the teeth 29, 29', which can engage into the recesses 13, 13', to turn the dial 7, and the teeth 28, 28' on its opposite face, to be engaged into the recesses 12, 12 when it is desired to adjust the dial 9. Obviously, recourse could be made to any other suitable means to attain the aforestated purposes.

Assuming that the dials have been adjusted in such a manner as to bring their non-lettered sections opposite to window (non-operating position) then the apparatus will find itself in the position as shown by Figs. l and 3.

Then, by depressing the push button 14, the disc 15 is brought into contact with the inside surface of disc 11, whereby a closed electrical circuit will be established between the contacts 16 and 17, i. e. between the terminals 24 and 23. In such a position, the bell 19 is obviously switched in the line 2.6, whereby a call signal is rung.

When on the contrary the dials are adjusted in such a manner as to show through the window 2 a given hour, until which no call can be effected then, by depressing the push button 14, a circuit between the contact blades 16 and 18 is established, whereby the lamp 20 is switched into the circuit, and the bell is cut ol therefrom.

The lamp 29 is arranged in such a manner as to light the dials.

The apparatus could be tted also with cylindrical dials, in place of circular ones.

I claim:

A combined installation of a push button and an hourof-return indicator, comprising: a bell and an electric lamp, two contacts connected with said bell and lamp respectively, a rotatable dial having hours graduations on a substantial portion of its surface for indicating the hour of return with the remaining portion of the surface indicating that the bell is in operation, said lamp being disposed in the installation in space behind the rotatable dial, illuminate it in its different positions, and a commutator rotatable with the dial, said commutator being composed of two distinct and different contacting faces, each of the faces of the commutator being composed of a section of insulation and a section of conducting material, and one face being always in engagement with the lamp contact while the other face is always in engagement of the bell contact, the angular extent of the section of conducting material on said one face being the same as the angular extent of the hours graduations on the rotatable dial, the remainder of the face being of insulation; the angular extents of conducting and insulating material on said other face being opposed to what appears on the said one face, Contact means operated by a push button for References Cied in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schlage Mar. 26, 19,1'2 Baldwin et a1 Aug. 19, 1913 White Feb. 851921 Cyr Oct. f4, 1924 Hau Een.' 29, 1944 

